Author: Angela    Silke

Major: Biology

Graduation Year: 2017

Thesis Advisor: Balunkeswar Nayak

Description of Publication: Food allergy is caused by allergenic proteins within food reacting negatively with IgE antibodies in the human body. Shrimp, part of the shellfish is one of the big eight allergenic foods that can cause anaphylaxis. This study is an attempt to investigate a method of reducing shrimp allergenicity using plant-based enzymes. Shrimp was marinated for 3, 6 or 16 hours in three enzyme solutions of 3% and 5% for Papain, Bromelain and 4% and 8% for Ficin. The effect of marination times with these concentrations on the allergenic proteins was tested using BCA Assay, Lowry Assay, Indirect ELISA and SDS-PAGE, (Specifically, examined for total protein, total degree of hydrolysis, IgE binding strength). The results show that though the tropomyosin was hydrolyzed by the enzymes the IgE binding was not reduced. This leads to the conclusion that enzymatic hydrolysis and marination at the parameters of this experiment is not an effective way to reduce shrimp allergenicity, and that avoidance of the food product should continue to be the main strategy to avoid a reaction.

Location of Publication:

• fogler
• reynolds

URL to Thesis: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/honors/263/